Flounder are an awesome catch, but many anglers have a tough time getting them on the line when surf fishing as opposed to when fishing from a boat – even when the surf is chock full of them. From Nov. 1-Dec. 14 anglers cannot retain flounder in Texas but even during early winter there are flounder in the surf but no on really fishes for them.
Why is it so hard to catch flatties in the surf? Well, in truth it isn’t, and these three tips will help you land more of ’em.
- Keep your bait moving. Flounder groove on the chase, and don’ hit static baits nearly as often as one that’s trying to get away. This means using your sand spike for rebaiting and rigging, only, and holding your rod the rest of the time. After casting out, slowly sweep the rod back then reel as you move it forward to take up line. Never let the bait sit in the same spot for more than a few seconds.
- Cast at an angle to the beach, not straight out. You know how flounder love to sit along drop-offs? Of course you do. And in the surf it’s no different. Most beaches have a drop-off and/or trough just past the breakers and sometimes behind a secondary bar. Cast straight out and you can creep your bait along these drops for a very limited amount of time. Cast at a 45-degree angle, however, and your offering will spend a lot more time moving along the edge, where the fish are most likely to be holding.
- When it’s calm out, trade in that surf rig for a jig. As is true when fishing from a boat, a four- or five-inch scented plastic shad or twister in white or chartreuse is an absolute flounder magnet. This can be very difficult (or impossible) to bounce along the bottom when there are large waves breaking. But keep them on hand when you head for the surf, because if it’s calm and you can work the jig properly while maintaining tension on the line, using this tactic will generally out-catch throwing bait.